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highway

American  
[hahy-wey] / ˈhaɪˌweɪ /

noun

  1. a main road, especially one between towns or cities.

    the highway between Los Angeles and Seattle.

    Synonyms:
    interstate, thruway, freeway, expressway
  2. any public road or waterway.

  3. any main or ordinary route, track, or course.


highway British  
/ ˈhaɪˌweɪ /

noun

  1. a public road that all may use

  2. law a main road, esp one that connects towns or cities

  3. a main route for any form of transport

  4. a direct path or course

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of highway

before 900; Middle English heyewei, Old English heiweg. See high, way 1

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"This atomic disorder limits performance because it traps and scatters electrons, much like potholes slowing traffic on a highway," describes Dr. Dongqi Li from TU Dresden.

From Science Daily • Apr. 4, 2026

Videos on social media have documented the outage, with one appearing to show it resulting in a highway collision, although police said no injuries had been reported and passengers exited their vehicles safely.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

Large sections of the national highway are destroyed.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

On the highway from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, American flags now hang alongside Israeli ones – a public sign of appreciation for US involvement in fighting Iran.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

John bumped the 4x4 back onto the highway and stepped on the gas.

From "Storm Runners" by Roland Smith